AN old black and white photograph handed to the Wellington Hospital League of Friends has them scratching their heads.

The photo belonged to a trainee nurse at the hospital back in the 1950s, Marlene Good (nee Marks) who sadly passed away in September 2025.

Her daughter gave the group the photograph showing the nursing team at Wellington Cottage Hospital as it was, and now the League of Friends are trying to work out who is who - and most of all, who the little dog pictured belonged to.

Press Officer and vice chair of the Wellington Hospital League of Friends, Diane Grabham said: “We have very little information.

“We believe Marlene is pictured third from the left in the back row and that Sandra Disney is on the far right of the back row. We'd love to be able to identify the rest of the staff and are intrigued as to why the dog is pictured front centre.”

In the 1950s the hospital had nine inpatient beds with a reputation for a “homely, friendly and caring atmosphere generated by those who work there.”

Diana added: “We have put out a plea on our social media and interested to see what comes back.”

Well, what came back was information from Lynne Hayward who wrote: “I was four years old and had my appendix removed at Wellington Cottage Hospital.

“Mrs Farrant, the dentist’s wife, was in the next bed to me and I had been gifted a box of chocolates, of which I leaned across and offered her one.

“She picked the one she wanted but unfortunately dropped it whereupon Matrons’ dog scoffed it very quickly.

“That was in the days when they used to sprinkle the damp used tea leaves on the floor to keep the dust down before they swept the ward.”